Cradles for textile machines



Nov. 5, 1963 H. A. ANDERSON CRADLES FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed July 25. 1961 FIG.6

INVENTOR HAROLDA.ANDERSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,109,205 CRADLES FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Harold A. Anderson, Shrewsbury, Mass, assignor to Anderson Tool 8; Stamping (10., Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 25, 1961, Ser. No. 126,719 7 Claims. (Si. 19-255) This invention relates to improvements in cradles such as those found in drafting mechanisms for spinning machines and which journal the rolls commonly used for the draft aprons as is well known in the art.

The principal object of the present invention resides in the provision of a new and improved anti-friction bearing surface to be applied to the side members of the cradle, each new and improved bearing member providing a bearing surface for both the upper and the lower roll and having a web or the like inbetween the upper roll bearing surface and the lower roll bearing surface providing for mechanical attachment of the device to the side member, whereby the bearing member is more easily handled inasmuch as the upper roll bearing member and the lower roll bearing member are both applied at the same time to the side member of the cradle; because the new and improved bearing members are not apt to become accidentmly detached from the side members; and also because they provide for less chance of accumulation of lint or fly.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a cradle to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation thereof, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an obverse view of one of the new and improved elements, and

FIG. 6 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in FIG. 5.

Although the present invention provides a new and improved anti-friction bearing member which may be used in many different applications, it is herein illustrated as applied to the side members of a cradle utilized in drafting mechanisms such as for spinning machines. Such cradles are used for mounting the upper and lower rolls usually referred to as the middle rolls which support and drive aprons (not shown) for advancing the fiber to the front rolls as is customary, the front rolls also not being shown. These cradles by means of side members also guide the aprons as is well known in the art, and each cradle comprises right and left side members 10* and 12, these being held in properly spaced relation by means of a pair of cross bars 14 and 16 usually permanently secured with relation to the side members by means of rivets or the like. These side members are provided with notches generally indicated at :18 which removably hold guide bars (not shown) around which the aprons are guided.

It will also be seen that each side member has a rear- Wardly extending portion 20, 20 together with upper and lower arcuate, reversed notches or the like 22 and 24 respectively which are utilized to rotatably mount the upper and lower rolls, and as thus far described the cradle is old and well known in the art.

This invention contemplates the provision of long wearing bearing surfaces and these are to be applied to the edges of notches 22 and 24. By the provision of the novel bearing edges, the rolls and cradles are much longer lasting, being easily replaced when worn.

The anti-friction bearing members per se are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and each is generally constructed of a flat member 26 having reversed arcuate portions or recesses as at 28 and 30, these corresponding to the edges 22 and 24 (see FIG. 3 particularly).

In addition, each flat bearing member or plate 26 is provided with two arcuate outstanding flanges, these being indicated at 32 and 34 respectively. These conform in shape and generally in length to the recesses 28 and 30 and stand outwardly therefrom as indicated in FIG. 6. However, it should be noted that these flanges terminate in such a manner as to be applied and to lie within the notched-out portions of the side members, so that when the bearing members are applied as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a smooth even unbroken line is provided where indicated by the reference numerals 36, 38, 40 and 42 so as to leave no projections, recesses or cracks for the accumulation of lint, etc.

The new and improved bearing members are made in rights and lefts to conform to the right and left side members of the cradle, and the flanges 32 and 34 overlap the edges of the recesses at 22 and 24 of each side member 10 and 12.

More important, however, the edges of the flanges at 32 and 34 are substantially coplanar with the flat surface of the inside surfaces of the plates 10 and 12 as is indicated by the reference numerals 44 and 46 in FIG. 4, and by reason of this construction the inside surfaces of the respective side members do not have any projecting edges or members of any kind to interfere with the guiding operation with respect to the aprons mentioned above. Furthermore, by providing the two bearing flanges 32 and 34 on the same web or coplanar member 26, opportunity is provided for riveting or otherwise fastening these members mechanically in position as is indicated by the reference numerals 48. It is preferred that rivets be used for this purpose and parts can be undercut or chamfered as at 50 in order to prevent projections. The rivets may be impressed as is well known to those skilled in the art at the inside aspect thereof so as to fail to project. Of course other fasteners may also be used, and as a matter of fact if the bearing members are made of molded nylon, Teflon or the like, they may be molded with integral projections extending through the respective apertures in the side members so as to provide for snap-in action. Other well known fastening devices may be utilized also if desired.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A cradle comprising two generally parallel side members provided with corresponding recesses, means spacing said side members, the recesses in said side members including arcuate edges that are adapted toreceive roll members, and anti-friction means mounted on each side member adjacent the recesses, each anti-friction means comprising a generally flat anti-friction member and a pair of generally arcuate outstanding flanges thereon, said flanges extending to one side surface only of the respective fiat member and conforming to and covering the edges of the recesses of the respective side members which are to be engaged by the respective roll members.

2. A cradle as set forth in claim 1 including means fastening said anti-friction members in position on the respective side members. 7

3. A bearing element for a textile roll cradle having side members, said bearing element comprising a generally flat member having inwardly directed arcuate recesses extending inwardly from opposite edges thereof, said re- 3 cesses terminating short of each other, and outstanding flanges also aracuate in shape extending to one side surface only of the flat member, said flanges being generally coextensive With the edges of said arc-uate recesses.

4. A cradle for the drafting rolls of a textile drafting mechanism comprising a pair of spaced parallel side members, means spacing said side members, each side member having a recess at its upper edge and another recess at its lower edge, said recesses being spaced and generally arcuate and aligned for the reception of respectively an upper roll in one pair of respective recesses of the two side members and a lower roll in the other pair of respective recesses of the two side members, and anti-friction inserts adapted to be attached one to each side member, each insert comprising a flat plate having recesses extending inwardly from opposite edges thereof in corresponding relationship to the said recesses in the side members of the cradle, and flanges extending from said recesses in said insert for overlapping the edges of the recesses in the side members of the cradle, said flanges terminating generally coextensively with the opposite side surface of each respective side member of said cradle at the inner aspect thereof.

5. The cradle as recited in claim 4 including means securing said flat plates in position on the respective side members of the cradle.

6. A cradle for the drafting rolls of a textile drafting mechanism comprising a pair of spaced parallel side members, means spacing said side members, each side member having a recess at one edge, said recesses being generally arcuate and aligned for the reception of a roll, and antifriction inserts adapted to be attached one to each side member, each insert comprising a fiat plate having a recess extending inwardly from an edge thereof in corresponding relationship to the said recesses in the side members of the cradle, and a flange on each flat plate extending from the edge of its recesses and overlapping the corresponding edge of the respective recess in each side member of the cradle, said flanges terminating generally coextensively with the opposite side surfaces of each respective side member of said cradle at the inner aspect thereof.

7. The cradle as recited in claim 6 including means securing said flat plates in position on the respective side members of the cradle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,944,300 Swanson July 12, 1960 

1. A CRADLE COMPRISING TWO GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDE MEMBERS PROVIDED WITH CORRESPONDING RECESSES, MEANS SPACING SAID SIDE MEMBERS, THE RECESSES IN SAID SIDE MEMBERS INCLUDING ARCUATE EDGES THAT ARE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ROLL MEMBERS, AND ANTI-FRICTION MEANS MOUNTED ON EACH SIDE MEMBER ADJACENT THE RECESSES, EACH ANTI-FRICTION MEANS COMPRISING A GENERALLY FLAT ANTI-FRICTION MEMBER AND A PAIR OF GENERALLY ARCUATE OUTSTANDING FLANGES THEREON, SAID FLANGES EXTENDING TO ONE SIDE SURFACE ONLY OF THE RESPECTIVE FLAT MEMBER AND CONFORMING TO AND COVERING THE EDGES OF THE RECESSES OF THE RESPECTIVE SIDE MEMBERS WHICH ARE TO BE ENGAGED BY THE RESPECTIVE ROLL MEMBERS. 